Moon Shadows
by Gemini14
Summary: A mystery begins when an old memory resurfaces in Usagi. Who was Saki? And why are Luna and Artemis so reluctant to reveal anything about him? R/R Please!
1. Chapter One

Moon Shadows

Chapter One: Dreams

__

Stars sparkled overhead as the Earth came into view. A lone soldier stands watch over the gates of the Imperial Palace, the starlight reflecting in his thoughtful blue eyes. Long, jet-black hair hangs down to his hips over a pristine white cloak. Two long strands of his dark hair hang over his chest and in front of his ears. He looks away from the horizon when he hears something move close by.

"Come on out, whomever you may be." The soldier says, in a rich, cultured voice. He is surprised when he sees a young girl stand up out of the bushes.

"Princess Serenity? What are you doing out here at this time of night?" the soldier asks, as the girl walks over to him, a sheepish look on her face.

"Please don't tell Mother! I just wanted to see him again. Please don't tell her!" Serenity pleaded.

"Him? Do you mean Prince Endymion? The Prince of the Earth?" the soldier asked, his suspicions confirmed when he saw a faint pink blush on the girl's cheeks.

"Hai." Serenity replied, shyly.

"Thought so. You were planning on going down there, weren't you?" the soldier asked. 

"Hai." Serenity again said.

"Then you can't go alone." The soldier said, understanding the young princess' feelings towards the dashing prince.

"You're coming with me?! Won't you get into trouble for leaving your post?" Serenity asked, stunned that he was going to do that for her.

"I probably will get into trouble, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something ever happened to you. I feel it is my duty, as much as it is the Senshi's duty, to protect you. Let me at least fulfill that part of my duty by providing for you an escort down to the Earth. I promise not to get in the way." The soldier said, gently.

"Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, Saki!" Serenity shouted, as she leaped up and hugged the soldier, forgetting herself in her excitement.

"Oof, you're welcome, little princess! Now, let's go before anyone notices that you aren't where you should be." Saki said, as he gently ushered the girl forward, towards the blue Earth.

Usagi bolted upright, sweating profusely. It had been some time since she'd had such a vivid dream, and this one startled her.

"Luna? Where are you?" Usagi asked, whispering so she wouldn't wake her parents or brother.

"Right here, Usagi-chan. What's wrong?" Luna asked, as she jumped onto the bed and sat before her mistress.

"Luna…………….who was Saki?" Usagi asked, softly. Luna nearly fell over in shock and surprise.

"Saki…………….he was one of the Castle Guards back in the Moon Kingdom. Why do you want to know about him?" Luna asked, suspiciously.

"I saw him in a dream just now. Or was it a memory? He followed me to earth one time long ago because he didn't want me to go alone. Whatever happened to him, Luna?" Usagi asked, secretly afraid that he hadn't been reborn.

"He remained one of the Guards, but he wasn't allowed to see you after that incident. I believe Metallia killed him in the first attack on the Moon. He and his brother were very loyal to the Royal Moon family, and they fought bravely. It is almost certain that they have both been reborn here on earth." Luna said, hoping that that would be enough to satisfy her charge. It wasn't.

"How do I go about finding him? And his brother? I have a feeling that they were more than just Guards." Usagi said, suddenly wanting to find the mysterious, kindly Guard that had disobeyed the rules and provided safety on one of her long ago trips to earth. 

"I don't know, Usagi-chan. Go back to sleep, and I will think about it." Luna said, wearily. When Usagi had done as she had been told, Luna exited the bedroom through the window, and headed for Minako's house, where she knew Artemis to be staying. When she had awoken Artemis and they had gone to the park, Luna told him of what had just gone on.

"We both knew that this would only be a matter of time, but I didn't know she would dream about him so vividly." Artemis murmured, as Luna looked at him nervously.

"It's because the same Royal blood flowed in their veins. Artemis, what will we do if those two do awaken and remember their past lives in the Silver Millennium? We certainly don't have the power to seal them away, and Usagi might not want to, though she has the power to." Luna said, fearfully.

"We can't rely on Mamoru, either, since his power has not fully awakened yet. It would take a long time for him to learn to control his power, much less wield it in such a way as to seal two potential problems away. Who can we rely on?" Artemis asked.

"Well, one thing is certain, we'd know if those two appeared in this city. And they aren't here now. Let's watch and wait. Maybe Usagi will forget this and move on, without attracting unwanted attention to herself in the meantime." Luna said, as she called their short and impromptu meeting to a close. 

"I hope you're right, Luna." Artemis muttered, as he trotted away, heading for home.

"I hope I'm right too, for all of us." Luna murmured, as the sun rose behind her, bathing the path in a warm, golden glow.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Premonitions

Mamoru sat back with a sigh and rubbed his eyes. He had not been sleeping well for several days and it was starting to show. There were dark circles under his eyes and the eyes themselves looked dull. He just looked worn out. Yet, when he put a hand to his chest, he could feel the pulsating warmth of his Crystal against his hand. Even though things had been quiet since the defeat of Chaos and Galaxia, he still found himself patrolling the city as Tuxedo Kamen. 

"_I guess it's been awhile since we've been able to rest for so long without another enemy to worry about. This is going to take some getting used to._" Mamoru thought, as he pushed that thought aside, and tried to focus on what was bothering him. Something from the distant past was calling him, but the voice wasn't clear.

"Mamoru-sama?" a voice asked, jolting Mamoru back into reality.

"Hey, Luna. What brings you here?" Mamoru asked, surprised that the black cat was visiting him alone.

"Have you sensed anything unusual around here lately?" Luna asked, as she hopped up onto the coffee table.

"Not really, but I have been picking up something. It's like a distant echo. An echo of power. Whether it is good or evil, I cannot say. Hino-san has a better ability to pick up things like that." Mamoru said, his eyes going distant for a moment, then abruptly snapping back to the present.

"Mamoru-sama, have you had any dreams lately?" Luna asked, as she looked at the pale, tired face of the future King of the Earth.

"Not many, but when I have, they were usually of the past. Why do you ask?" Mamoru asked, now vaguely interested in why Luna was there.

"Usagi-chan had a dream last night about a long ago meeting with you. She had had an escort on one of those visits. Do you remember what he looked like?" Luna asked.

"Luna, you are asking me to remember something that happened a thousand years ago. I can't even remember my own parents' faces, much less remember some guard from the old Silver Millennium!" Mamoru grumbled, irritably, as he stood and made his way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

"This is not 'some guard' we are talking about. We're talking about someone who could possibly have the same amount of power as Usagi-chan if he is awakened!" Luna said, anxiously.

"Luna, in order for me to understand what you are talking about, you must tell me more. I can only discern so much." Mamoru muttered, from inside the kitchen. Luna remained silent; should she tell Mamoru more about Saki? Or should she keep it to herself?

"I'm afraid I can't reveal anything more to you, Mamoru-sama." Luna finally said, miserably.

"Then let's drop this subject altogether. Do you want anything to eat, Luna?" Mamoru asked.

"No thanks. I'm going to Rei-chan's next. See you later." Luna said, before leaving the apartment.

__

Queen Serenity stood alone on her balcony, with tears flowing down her face. She had just given birth to her firstborn child, but things had not gone as she had wanted. Instead of having the blond hair and gold moon birthmark as proof of being the heir to the Moon Kingdom's throne, the child had dark hair and a silver moon marking.

"What is wrong, dear sister?" a feminine voice sneered, causing the sad queen to turn around.

"You know what is wrong, Nehelenia. You know exactly why I weep." Serenity replied, bitterly, as a woman dressed in black joined her on the balcony.

"Hmm………………_Could it be because your newborn son is cursed?" Nehelenia purred, maliciously. Serenity bristled. _

"Yes. That is why. And now I have to send him away." Serenity murmured.

"But where are you sending him?" Nehelenia asked.

"None of your concern. Where he goes is my business, and my business alone. Leave me." Serenity ordered. With a sinister smile, Nehelenia slinked off into the shadows. Years passed, and Serenity gave birth again. This time to twins. To her dismay, the silver moon again appeared on her son's forehead, but her newborn daughter had the gold moon.

"My daughter shall be my heir, and her name will be Serenity. But once again I must lose a child in order to gain an heir." Serenity murmured, as she gazed sadly on the face of her peacefully sleeping son, then handed him to one of the servants, never to see him again. 

Or so she thought.

Fourteen years pass, and two guards are brought before Queen Serenity. The first is tall, with long, waist-length black hair and sapphire blue eyes. His armor sparkles in the dim light of the audience chamber. The second is a bit shorter than the first, and has cornsilk blond hair and sapphire eyes. He also wears the armor of the Moon Kingdom.

"Your superiors tell me that you have both, at some time or another, deserted your posts. Why did you do so?" Serenity asks.

"Your Highness, I left my post to accompany your daughter to the earth to see what it was like down there." The first said, quietly.

"Do not lie to me. I know why she went to the earth. Her heart aches for the Earth Prince, but it is forbidden for them to even be in love." Serenity said, coldly.

"Yet, your Highness, you cannot control her heart. She may be young, as I am, but she has already fallen in love. She may not know this, but her heart does." The second guard said, gently.

"Young guard, the queen has not given you leave to speak." Another guard said, as he lashed the younger man once in the back for insubordination. The dark haired man growled, and moved to defend the younger man, but was stopped by a word from the queen.

"Let him take his punishment like a man. It is what you must now do." Serenity said, coolly, as she approached the two soldiers.

"And what punishment would that be?" the first asked, his blue eyes flashing in challenge to the queen.

"You will never see my daughter again nor have the pleasure of protecting her. Tomorrow you two leave for the far side of the moon. You will not return here until Princess Serenity is married. Is that clear?" Queen Serenity asked.

"Very. Let's go, Rishar." The first said, as he motioned to the second.

"I never knew the queen could be so cold." Rishar murmured, as he glanced back at the expressionless queen.

"Yes. A queen with a heart of ice. A proper snow queen." The first said, bitterly, before they were out of sight to the queen. And that was the last time they ever set foot into the castle.

Rei returned to herself silently. For the longest time, she sat and stared into the flames of the Sacred Fire, wondering what the vision had meant. 

"_It was obviously from the past, since Queen Serenity and Silver Millennium were still there. But who were those two men? And why did one of them look so much like Princess Serenity?_" Rei wondered, as she stood and stretched. 

"Rei-chan?" a voice asked, from a darkened corner of the room.

"Ah, just the cat I wanted to see! Konnichiwa, Luna." Rei said, as she faced the black cat.

"I wanted to talk to you too, Rei-chan. Have you had any visions lately? I just got here from Mamoru-sama's and he's restless and edgy about something." Luna said, as the miko sat down before her.

"Yes. I have just finished having one just before you arrived. It had to do with two Guards from Silver Millennium and Queen Serenity. It was so strange; one of the soldiers looked almost as though he could have been Princess Serenity's twin brother!" Rei explained, noticing when Luna's expression fell.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked.

"Rei-chan, I think it is time for a meeting. I will depend on you to call everyone together." Luna said, grimly.

"Okay. The Outer Senshi, too?" Rei asked, as she and Luna walked into the living area of the Hikawa Shrine.

"Yes, them too. They should know of this." Luna said, as Rei started dialing numbers.

"Luna, what is it that you are so worried about?" Rei asked, confused as to why Luna was so concerned about her vision.

"Moon shadows……………..I am worried about moon shadows………..and the power they hold." Luna replied, her voice heavy with foreboding.

Author's Note!

I know that this is a relatively short chapter, but the next chapter will be longer, I promise! Hope you enjoyed this chapter though!

Gemini


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Appearances

Haruka sat back after Rei and Usagi had finished explaining what they had seen.

"So, these two soldiers are what you're so worried about, Luna? What do they have that we don't? Haruka asked, not totally seeing the point.

"Power, Haruka-san. Power that is beyond what we, as Serenity's protectors, can understand. You see, not only were these two men soldiers of Silver Millennium, but they were also related by blood to Queen Serenity." Luna said, as the whole room went silent.

"How were they related to the queen, Luna?" Minako asked, when she had gotten over her shock enough to speak.

"They were the disinherited brothers of Princess Serenity." Luna said, grimly. Again there was shocked silence, but this time Hotaru broke it.

"Luna-chan, are these two brothers out for revenge?" Hotaru asked, her purple eyes cautious, but not afraid.

"No. They never found out that their mother was Queen Serenity, nor did they ever need to know. They were happy enough with their lives as soldiers protecting the kingdom from minor threats." Luna said, as she remembered the good-natured soldiers that had guarded the gate until their abrupt dismissal by Queen Serenity.

"What do you think, Setsuna-san? Would those two do any harm if they remembered the past?" Usagi asked, speaking up for the first time since she'd told them of her dream.

"I cannot say, exactly. But I do not feel that they would bear any ill will towards us, at any rate. They might feel a little resentment for Queen Serenity for their banishment, but that's just about it." Setsuna replied.

"But that is enough for darker forces to corrupt their hearts. I say we find them before something else does. If we don't, we'll be placing ourselves at the mercy of two beings who could probably be even more powerful than Galaxia herself." Mamoru murmured, from his seat at the end of the table. All of the senshi gaped at him in surprise. Unruffled, Mamoru took this as a cue to continue.

"You know what I say to be true. In the time before the fall of Silver Millennium, I had four allies who were sworn to my side by blood and blade. Unfortunately, they were swayed into darkness by Beryl and Mettalia and helped in the destruction of the Moon Kingdom. And we also saw the effects of evil bending the human heart when we fought against the Dark Moon Family and Death Phantom. Even though the Outer Senshi did not join us until late, they have certainly seen their share of tragic events wrought by this sort of thing. Does anyone really want to see this cycle continue?" Mamoru asked, calmly. All of the senshi looked at one another and shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Mamoru's speech had gone deep and struck at the very questions and fears they had buried in their hearts.

"The Prince speaks the truth; and it is a truth that is not easy to bear. Even though the power the brothers have is fearsome, we must not let that power fall into the wrong hands." Michiru said, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. Then all attention turned to Luna and Artemis. Both cats looked crestfallen at the resolve they saw in the eyes of their human charges.

"How do we go about finding them?" Usagi asked, quietly.

"Even though I feel this is a mistake, I will tell you." Luna said, reluctantly. As the group gathered around them, the two cats began telling them of how they could find the brothers, wherever they were on earth.

Hours later, all of the senshi were ready to put the plan into action. Even Tuxedo Kamen stood ready. 

"Form a circle and join hands. This will be the first time in centuries this has ever been attempted. Remember to focus your energies on Tuxedo Kamen, since he's the compass that will point you in the right direction. His ties to the Earth will help you locate the brothers. Be careful, wherever you end up, and good luck." Luna said, as she watched the team do as they had been told.

"You ready, Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" Mercury asked, shyly.

"About as ready as I am going to get, Mercury. There's going to be a lot of energy running through me when we leave from here. I only hope I can handle it." Tuxedo Kamen replied, not hiding his nervousness, yet not giving in to it, either.

"Don't worry, Tuxedo Kamen-sama! It's not like there's going to be evil energy flowing into you! You'll be fine!" Jupiter said, enthusiastically, with her usual gung-ho attitude.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jupiter." Tuxedo Kamen said, relaxing a little before Uranus piped up.

"Or you could overload and send us careening into nothingness." Uranus said, sarcastically. Tuxedo Kamen gave her an icy look.

"And thanks for that, Uranus." Tuxedo Kamen muttered, as he grasped Sailor Moon's and Sailor Saturn's hands. There were a few snickers from Uranus and Neptune, but then all went silent, as they concentrated their powers on the lone male in their midst. Luna watched in agonizing silence as a look of discomfort, then pain, crossed Tuxedo Kamen's features. 

"_How much will he be able to take?_" Luna wondered, flinching when a brilliant flash came from the group, then the group itself disappeared, leaving a patch of broken up concrete as a clue that they had even been there to begin with.

"Good luck, minna." Artemis murmured, looking up at the darkening sky and watching as the stars started appearing.

The vortex was a swirl of bright colors that flowed past the travelers. Sailor Moon gasped when she felt Tuxedo Kamen's grasp tighten, and chanced a look at him and saw the pained expression on his handsome face.

"_Hang on for a little bit longer, Mamo-chan._" Sailor Moon thought, as she squeezed his hand in reassurance. Whether he felt it or not, Tuxedo Kamen gave no sign, but his brightly glowing body pulsated strongly when they had reached a point in the vortex where the brothers were the closest. Abruptly, the short journey ended, and the senshi and kamen materialized in another city. When the power levels had gone back to normal, they broke contact. The moment they did, though, Tuxedo Kamen fell to one knee, shuddering in pain.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Mars and Moon yelped, as they all gathered worriedly around him.

"D-don't worry about me………….find the brothers…….." Tuxedo Kamen muttered, through wheezing breaths and clenched teeth.

"We can't leave you here alone." Sailor Moon argued, very concerned with her lover's well-being. 

"I'll stay here with him, Sailor Moon. You're needed to locate the brothers." Saturn said, with maturity beyond her years. Reluctantly, Sailor Moon looked at Tuxedo Kamen, got a nod from him, then left with the rest of the senshi. 

"Are you all right, Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" Saturn asked, as the kamen sat back and leaned against a tree trunk.

"The pain is ebbing, but Uranus doesn't realize how close her prediction came to coming true……………" Tuxedo Kamen said, quietly, as a cool breeze blew past. 

"But you got us here. That's all that really matters." Saturn said, encouragingly.

"That's true, but I don't think I could do it again. The pain was almost too much." Tuxedo Kamen murmured, as he relaxed and allowed himself to drift into light slumber.

"Don't worry, I don't think you'll need to." Saturn whispered, as she stood guard over the sleeping Earth Prince, unaware that something had noticed their presences and was now watching them closely.

Sailor Moon looked back, worry compelling her to turn back.

"It'll be all right. Saturn won't let anything bad happen to him." Mars said, reassuringly.

"I know. It's just strange that he isn't just behind or just in front of us." Sailor Moon admitted, as they continued on. They had separated into pairs so they could cover more ground, while Sailor Pluto kept an eye out for anything unusual. People on the streets would look up and point in wonder as the senshi passed by on the rooftops. 

"I wonder where we are?" Venus muttered, as she looked down on some of the people, smiling when she heard some children let out yells of wonder and surprise.

"I think we're in America, in one of the smaller towns." Mercury said, as she glanced around at the small town shops.

"If that's so, then it should be easy to find the brothers!" Venus said, with new confidence.

"Don't be too sure of that. It may be that we look the same as we did one thousand years ago, but it may not be the case with the brothers. They could look completely different now." Mercury said, sensibly, as they moved on, leaving a crowd of awestruck onlookers behind. Before they had gone too far, shooting began on one of the streets. Startled, both girls turned to look back at what was going on. They were stunned when they didn't see people running in terror from the gunshots, but instead saw them walk casually to their front porches to watch the action. Within moments, men in grey and blue woolen uniforms fought their way up the street, and, as the senshi watched, some even fell to the ground as though dead.

"What's goin' on here?!" Venus asked, afraid and more than a little confused.

"It's a re-enactment! These are American Civil War re-enactors! I wonder if the brothers are among them?" Mercury shouted, over the din of the rifles and shouts of the men. Cautiously, both girls descended from their rooftop perch onto the sidewalk where the fighting had already passed. They then ducked into an alleyway and de-transformed into their schoolgirl outfits. When they emerged again, some of the re-enactors were sitting up and talking to the townsfolk. Ami's eyes were then drawn to one young man, who now sat on the 'curb' of the street with a glass of lemonade in hand. She could see that he was very handsome, despite the dirt smudged on his hands, face and uniform. He had dark, sapphire blue eyes and curly, cornsilk blond hair, and Ami was more than a little surprised when he looked up and grinned at her.

"Hello there." The man said, his tone and manner friendly.

"H-hello." Ami said, shyly, ignoring Minako when she gave her a look of annoyance.

"I didn't see you two when the battle started. Did you just arrive?" the man asked, as a woman brought out two more glasses of lemonade for Minako and Ami.

"You could say that. What's your name?" Minako asked, as she took a sip of the cool drink.

"My name is Rishar McDoyle. Strange name, I know, but my parents came from both Scotland and the Middle East. But please, don't tell anyone, or they'll 'flip out' so to speak." The man said, with a good-natured smile.

"We won't tell. I'm Aino Minako, and this is Mizuno Ami. We came here searching for someone." Minako said.

"Well, it seems you've found someone. You two are from Japan, aren't you? I don't suppose you guys have heard about re-enacting, have you?" Rishar asked, after he'd taken off his kepi and allowed his long hair to escape from under it.

"You'd be surprised." Ami said, then asked, "How long have you been in this hobby, Rishar-san?" 

"Not long, actually. In fact, I have just turned sixteen, believe it or not. So I am just old enough to carry a rifle. This was my second battle re-enactment." Rishar said, his eyes still glistening with the excitement of the event.

"Rishar! And you accuse me of talking up the ladies! Sheesh!" a man said, as he jogged up to the trio. Rishar blushed, then gave the other man a look that could not be read.

"Saki! Where have you been?" Rishar asked, arching an eyebrow when the other man laughed.

"I got a little bit farther than you did before I ran out of cartridges. This event more than makes up for the lousy time we had at Enview. So, little brother, would you mind introducing me to these two beautiful ladies?" Saki asked, with a charming smile. Rishar rolled his eyes.

"This is Minako Aino and the shy one is Ami Mizuno." Rishar said, as the two girls both blushed.

"Pleasure to meet you both. I have often worried whether or not Rishar would open up and talk to some ladies. He's the shy one in our family." Saki said, laughing when Rishar took a swing at him with his rifle.

"Minako-chan! Ami-chan!" a loud, female voice shouted, as a group of worried girls dashed up the street towards them.

"Usagi-chan! Minna!" Minako said, startled. 

"We've been looking everywhere for you! We couldn't find you when the shooting started!" Makoto said, then looked at the two rough and tumble young men, who stood by, smiling and chuckling. 

"Who're these guys?" Haruka asked, suspiciously.

"This is Saki and Rishar McDoyle. They're re-enactors." Minako said, as both men bowed politely.

"_And they may be more than that._" Michiru thought, as she watched the girls begin talking to the two young men at once, all of them asking questions.

"Ladies, are you free for the evening?" Saki asked, as he looked at the group.

"That depends. What is going on this evening?" Haruka asked, a bit miffed that he'd figured out her secret.

"There's going to be a dance this evening, and I was wondering if any of you would be interested." Saki said, his eyes drawn especially to Makoto.

"Erm………uh……..but I'm not a very good dancer." Makoto stammered, embarrassed.

"Don't worry, neither is he." Rishar said, jokingly, getting a dirty look from his brother while he was at it.

"I'll have to see if my fiancé is up to it. He's been feeling ill since we arrived here." Usagi said, getting sympathetic looks from both men when she said that.

"Well, I hope he feels better. Anyhow, is anyone interested?" Rishar asked.

"I am." Ami murmured, shyly.

"I'm game, just don't sue me if I step on your feet." Makoto said, eager for a new experience.

"But where will we get some dresses? We don't have any time period clothing to wear." Ami said, in dismay.

"Don't worry, I'm sure there's someone in our unit who will be willing to loan you some dresses. C'mon. I think I know of who can." Saki said, as he ushered for the two girls to follow him. Hesitantly, Ami and Makoto followed after the two brothers, leaving Usagi and the rest standing in the street.

"Well? What do you think, kitten? Are they the ones?" Haruka asked.

"They could be. But I need more time to see if they are or not." Usagi said, seriously, watching as her friends disappeared into the crowd. 

Author's Note!

I know, I know, shameless re-enacting plug! But I couldn't think of anything better than this scenario for the senshi to meet the brothers. I hope this was a good chapter, all in all.

Gemini


End file.
